GLASGOW: Taxi driver has ear bitten off over £8.80 fare, chef punches cabbie and PHVs vandalised
Updated: Nov 13, 2022
Taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers in Glasgow have had a tough time of it recently due to policy decisions. A spate of crimes surfacing in the courts and news this week also shows the dangerous element of being a licensed driver in the city.
One man bit part of a cab driver's ear off in a dispute over a £8.80 fare heard Glasgow Sheriff Court this week.
According to STV, the attacker put the taxi drvier into a headlock shouting “I will bite your f***ing ear off”. The man repeatedly punched the cabbie until chewing the top of his ear off in a Sauciehall Street brawl.
The driver was taken to hospital and treated with 20 stitches. The attacker’s sentence was deferred pending background reports. In the meantime his remand will continue.
Continuing in Glasgow, the courts also heard of a cab driver who was punched in the face by a chef after the two men got into an argument during a stop off at a cash machine on 4 March. The passenger saw red and punched Hassan’s shoulder and face before running off.
Outside of the courts, private hire vehicles are being targeted for vandalism which left one family ‘traumatised’ after their vehicle was smashed on Margaret Street.
Finally, the courts heard this week that a teenager was also found to have punched a 58-year-old cab driver demanding money and his phone after being picked up from Dennistoun heading to the city centre.
Taxi and PHV operators have found it hard to recruit more drivers to the industry since coronavirus pandemic restrictions were dropped. The protection of drivers is just another issue to add to a long list of problems facing the industry in Glasgow which includes a shrinking fleet, lack of available taxis to buy, low taxi tariffs, high costs and shrinking road networks.
You can read more about the problems facing the Glasgow taxi industry in our latest TaxiPoint Monthly magazine found here.
